Wall flashing



V. H. BERG WALL FLASHING Filed March 25, 1954 Nov. 26, 1935.

INVENTOR BY MM fl fm ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 26, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE co-partnership consisting of Victor H. Berg, Joseph C. Silveira, and Arthus C. Ghessman plication March 23, 1934, Serial No. 717,110

2 Claims. (01. 72- 127) The invention relates to improvements in wall flashings, and more particularly to sheet metal plates or units adapted to be inserted in the binding material or cement interposed between two courses of masonry in a wall or the like for the purpose of intercepting water or moisture seeping through the wall and directing such moisture away from the interior and toward the exterior of the wall. Sheet metal flashings intended for this general purpose have been devised, but it is the purpose of the present invention to increase the efiiciency of such flashings, and to improve the construction generally. A particular object of the invention is to provide a maximum binding efiect between the flashing and the mortar of the wall in all directions. This is accomplished according to the preferred embodiment of my invention by employing a plurality of ribs extending transversely across the flashing, angularly inclined with reference to the horizontal plane, and sinuously curved in the direction of length, the ribs being formed by pressing or otherwise forming S-shaped folds in the surface of the flashing. A further object of the invention is to provide improved means for readily connecting adjacent units of the metal flashing.

Other objects of the invention will be apparent from a consideration of the accompanying drawing and the following detailed description in which is disclosed a practical embodiment illustrative of the inventive thought.

In the drawing,

Fig. l is a vertical sectional view showing two adjacent courses of masonry, between which courses are interposed the improved sheet metal flashing.

Fig. 2 is a plan view on a larger scale than Fig. 1, showing the sheet metal flashing, provided with a plurality of curved ribs extending transversely thereof;

Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Fig. l, and

Fig. 4a is an enlarged section, similar to Fig. 1, but showing a method of joining a pair of units or sections of the wall flashing.

Fig. 1 shows two adjacent courses of masonry which may be composed of bricks A or other suitable blocks joined by mortar or other binding agent B, which is interposed between adjacent courses and between the individual bricks or blocks. Between the vertically arranged courses and embedded in the mortar B is a strip of sheet metal flashing C, the improved construction of which is the subject of the present invention. It will be understood that a wall or like masonry structure may beformed by a plurality of vertically superposed courses with flashing strips interposed at intervals where needed to'arrest the seepage of moisture.

The flashing strips C are preferablyformed in' 5 units whose width is substantially that of the wall to which they are to be applied. As illustrated in Fig. 3, the flashing includes a floor portion In extending substantially from the interior to the exterior of the wall and designed to arrest moisture seeping through the wall. Preferably the flashing includes also an upturned flange II, which may be positioned adjacent the interior of the wall to prevent moisture from reaching the interior, while opposite the upturned flange l l is a portion I2 turned downwardly along the exterior of the wall.

The surface ll] of the flashing is shown as divided by a plurality of parallel sinuously curved ribs I 3, which may be formed by pressing folds, sshaped in cross section, in the surface of the flashing, the curves of which ribs are preferably substantially sinusoidal in form. The ribs extend clear across the flashing strip from the flange or rib I! to the downwardly turned portion I2, and may, if desired, include the downturned portion as well. It will be noted that the ribs are angularly inclined, and below each rib l3 on the top surface is a corresponding rib I30. on the under surface of the flashing. The ribs l3a are parallel to each other and to the ribs l3. The combined cross section of a rib l3 and the corresponding rib l3a, considered as a unit, is preferably 8- shaped, the curvature being preferably smooth, rather than angular in form. Corresponding to the ribs l3 and 13a are grooves or recesses l4 and Ma formed by the reversed curves of the corresponding ribs. Between successive folded or ribbed portions the surface of the flashing is preferably inclined downwardly from left to right as indicated at !5, so that any moisture which may be arrested by the flashing is directed from the ridges l3 downwardly into the grooves I la. Obviously the flashing could be arranged so that the surfaces l5 would slope downwardly from right to left, instead of from left to right, as herein shown. The ribs I3 and l3a and the grooves I4 and Ma corresponding thereto serve to bind the flashing securely to the mortar and prevent movement in any direction. The long smooth curves of both the ribs and grooves, considered in the direction of their length, provide a most effective lock with the mortar and do not have any tendency to weaken the effect of the mortar, as would be the case where short, sharp bends are employed. A

similar advantage accrues from the S-shaped cross section of the combined ribs and grooves in that all portions may be occupied by the mortar. The double locking effect obtained by the overlapping of the inclined ribs and grooves is also a characteristic feature of the present invention, when considered in conjunction with the sinusoidal curving of both in the direction of their length.

Two of the metal flashing units may be readily joined together in the manner indicated in Fig. 4. As shown, each unit is provided at each edge with an inclined portion 16 of about one-half the width of the inclined portions l5, I5 between the successive ribs and grooves. In joining two units the inclined portions [6 fit against corresponding inclined portions l5 of the adjacent unit and the curved ribs and grooves of the corresponding units fit against one another in the manner indicated in Fig. 4. It will be noted that an open trough Ila, is provided at the bottom of the joined units, and

'a similar open space I! is provided at the top.

Any moisture which may collect from the inclined surface at the right of the trough lla will flow downwardly into the trough, but it is impossible for any moisture to pass through the joint to the next inclined surface on the left.

What I claim is:

1. A sheet metal flashing comprising a plurality of units each having parallel ridges and grooves extending transversely across the surface, and inclined intermediate portions, the units being joined along transverse edges, said edges having inclined portions corresponding in inclination with said intermediate portions but of less width, said inclined edge portions overlapping and fitting against an inclined portion intermediate a pair of ridges of the adjacent unit, and thecorresponding ridges and grooves of the respective units next to the inclined edges thereof fitting one another in juxtaposition.

2. A sheet metal flashing as set forth in claim 1, wherein a pair of transversely extending troughs I! and Ila are above the others, and are formed within the overlapping portions of the adjacent units.

VICTOR H. BERG. 

